Hunting Problem by Robert Sheckley

“Hunting Problem” is a 1955 science fiction short story by Robert Sheckley. It is about an alien scout who must hunt a fearsome adult Mirash in order to salvage his troop’s honor.

A Weighty Recommendation

Last year after reviewing a Robert Sheckley story I received an unsolicited email from none other than David Brin himself! I was both surprised and delighted when he mentioned visiting my little site and actually enjoying it! We carried on a small email conversation, and I discovered that he is a big fan of Robert Sheckley. He suggested a couple of stories (which I am still looking for online), but when I saw this one I had to give it a go. Here’s to you you, Mr. Brin, and your encouragement that I read more Sheckley stories!

Non-spoiler Summary in a Nutshell

Two weeks before the Scouter Jamboree, Drog is sent by his patrol leader on a very important mission. In order to improve the public perception of their patrol he must hunt down a live, male Mirash and bring its pelt back as a trophy. That doesn’t seem like too big of a problem until he learns that the Mirash are not only smarter than they seem, but they also have some dangerous weapons. Drog resorts to several desperate hunting techniques, but the question is will any of them be enough to capture one of the savage beasts?

My Two Cents…

• “Hunting Problem” has very clever humor throughout- and that made it a pleasure to read!
• The methods Drog uses to try and snare the Mirash were hilarious, I actually laughed out loud at several of them.
• The ending of the story was even more clever and funny than the rest of it – and it also caught me by surprise!

Interesting Tidbits About This Story:

• Page Count: 9
• Word Count: 3,949
• Did you know that Robert Sheckley wrote around 400 short stories – 4 of which were made into movies? Yep. You can learn more about this fascinating science fiction author at his official homepage.

Where You Can Find Hunting Problem:

• This story was originally published in the September 1955 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction.
• You can read a free HTML version of “Hunting Problem” online at The Fifth Imperium.
• This story is also included in the excellent anthology The World Turned Upside Down. (You can usually find a nice used copy on eBay too.)

Craving More Science Fiction Short Stories?

If you liked “Hunting Problem” then you may also enjoy the only other Robert Sheckley short story I have reviewed: Reborn Again – about a man whose whole-body transplant operation is botched by a morally indecisive lab technician.

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